Royal Enfield launched the Interceptor 650 in India, with ex-Royal Air Force pilot Graham Hawkes at the helm, last year. It’s been quite successful, accounting for two thirds of the company’s sales in the subcontinent in 2013 and garnering royal approval from Britain’s Prince Charles. But it isn’t just the royal family that’s fond of the Interceptor 650; this classic has won over enthusiasts too and we take a closer look at what makes it tick in our Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 review.
Why buy this bike?
The Royal Enfield is a classic British motorcycle brand. It’s also not exactly like other bikes you may have ridden in that it has a more upright riding position and, perhaps most notably, uses an old-school manual transmission. These are just some of its unique qualities that have led to a cult following among enthusiasts.
And now, Royal Enfield has created a new entry point into motorcycling with its redesigned 2018 model year Interceptor 650—the same bike as before but with far more refinement and technical upgrades to make it a competitor in every aspect. So if you want a cruiser but want something lighter than Harley or want something different from Japanese cruisers then check out these five reasons why we think you should buy one.
The motorcycle industry in India:
Royal Enfield is a British motorcycle brand that was started in 1901. It is currently one of two brands under Eicher Motors Ltd. The other being Norton, which is also a British brand name. Royal Enfield has four main manufacturing units and five assembly units across India.
Their most popular motorcycles are all models from their 500cc series: Classic, Bullet, Thunderbird and Continental GT. All of these models are an original design by Enfield (except for Bullet).
In 2014-15, Royal Enfield sold over 50,000 motorcycles domestically. In 2015-16 they sold over 70,000 bikes. As per some estimates they have 8% market share in domestic sales volumes and 10% market share in profits; but on similar lines there is another estimate stating that they have 60% market share in volume and 70% market share profit!
How it looks
The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 looks like something from a different era, but that’s part of its charm. Its old-school look harks back to days when adventure motorcycling was all about hair-raising speeds and thrills, and when motorcycles were ruggedly individualist and intimidating in their size.
The fact that it is so much more than that is what makes it a fascinating ride today. Despite having a traditional parallel twin engine, everything about riding it feels very modern – especially on longer rides where you don’t have to worry too much about potholes or broken roads.
This can be attributed partly to its comfortable seat and wide handlebars which provide enough room for relaxed posture even on long journeys. It also has plenty of torque at low RPMs (right off idle) as well as peppy power up top.
What’s under the hood?
The Royal Enfield Interceptor has a standard 4-stroke, SOHC, single cylinder engine with four valves and two spark plugs. The engine is air cooled with a 270° crank and produces 19 BHP @ 5200 RPM (Peak Power: 21.5 BHP @ 5100 RPM). It runs on premium fuel (92 Octane) which helps increase power output.
Unlike most other motorcycles in its class, it doesn’t use ride by wire technology for its throttle. Instead, it uses a carburetor that controls its fueling at low speeds as well as high ones. The bike also has a kick starter. This gives it an edge over other motorcycles that are automatic only as you can start them even when you’re stranded somewhere if there isn’t enough gas left in your tank to start up on your own.
Design quirks
Royal Enfield has been around for a long time, and even in that extended history, some bikes come out of left field. When you’re working on improving one model, you don’t want to let a good idea get away from you, and it looks like Royal Enfield might have done just that with the new Interceptor 650. The bike appears to be based on an old chassis but gets many modern touches—like an LED headlight—that make it attractive.
It also comes with disc brakes at both ends, which makes its appeal almost universal. This seems to be another case where Royal Enfield did exactly what it should: It took a classic platform and updated it for today’s rider. This machine is going to sell no matter what we say about it here, so who are we to argue? We hope they keep building them; we need something interesting now that KTM is making everything look so similar.
Performance on the road
The 648cc, single-cylinder engine churns out 42 Nm of torque. This allows you to drive from 0-60 kmph in 4.6 seconds, top speed is 155 kmph and a mileage of 22 kmpl with a 30 litre fuel tank. The gearbox is 5-speed with an OMRON F7 clutch and shaft final drive. Some features include self adjusting rear shock absorbers, self adjusting front forks and LED indicators on both sides. Royal Enfield interceptor comes equipped with dual purpose tyres of 110/90 at front and 140/70 at rear along radial telescopic hydraulic shocks on both ends of rear suspension for better road grip even under heavy load situations on highways.
Is it worth buying?
With its retro-styled looks and modern performance, Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 is a pretty sweet ride—but is it really worth $8,999? While we can’t make that decision for you, we can shed some light on what you get with your hard-earned cash.
Let’s dig in. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 has a 535cc single-cylinder engine backed by 6 gears of pure muscle. Riding modes (Rain, Standard and Sport) let you choose between rider-friendly settings for comfort or sportier riding as well as an aggressive riding position to put more weight over the front tire to maximize control at high speeds.
In addition to standard ABS brakes, these bikes have a rear shock absorber designed specifically for them to ensure comfort during long rides. They also come with almost everything else you’d expect from an expensive motorcycle: keyless ignition, adjustable handlebars and suspension, LED lights front and back, chrome wheels… You get our point.
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